Workplace Spirituality

This time we’re talking about workplace spirituality. Is that even a thing? What does it mean to practice spirituality at work? Where are the places we can grow by praying at work? Is there such a thing as meditation at work? Is any of this even possible? We’ll get real talking about our attempts to practice patience, tolerance, and kindness at our jobs and share the tools that are working for us today.

Transcript

Thanks for joining us here on Pretty Spiritual where we're attempting the unthinkable about how to navigate this messy,

Beautiful,

Imperfect life with spiritual tools,

What principles and our own personal stories.

So we're not experts,

We're not religious,

We're definitely silly.

We're honest,

Real and willing to share.

So join us as we connect,

Bond and grow together.

Okay everyone,

Hello and welcome.

Hi friends.

So excited we're all here today.

We've got our coffee.

It's slurping it down.

It's very important.

We'll do it so quietly,

Won't we Annie?

Okay so,

You know,

We just want to control people whether it be here in the podcast room or perhaps at work and that is what we're going to be talking about today.

That coworker that sits next to you chewing very loudly or sipping their coffees.

Oh please.

Okay how can I find,

Adhere or even want to be spiritual in the workplace?

Want to be spiritual.

Oh for real.

God do we even.

Okay topical.

How can I be a positive example,

Have patience and tolerance and be able to not take things personally in the workplace?

Wow.

Oh my God.

We have 30 minutes.

Okay here we go.

Whether you work alone or a telecommuter or working remotely,

No matter the details or your exact situation,

When working with other humans,

How can we show up spiritually is our theme for today.

Let's see where this goes.

I sure hope I end up more spiritual than murdery at the end.

I kind of like you when you murdery.

Coworkers in the workplace are the breeding grounds of much needed spiritual guidance in my opinion.

That's one way to talk about it.

Talking about it very spiritually here right now.

Handling situations with spiritual tools and principles is almost like a full-time job.

Add that to your regular job and who has time for any of it.

Spoiler alert,

We do.

Not to brag,

But we're trying to do it.

Spiritual brag.

Let's talk about our own personal stressors in the workplace and see if we can find some new perspective and practical tools to help guide us.

Until we win that lottery that I never play or that rich uncle dies that I definitely don't have,

The one thing we can count on is spiritual growth carrying the burden.

The riches we will acquire when it comes to spiritual riches.

I'll be like Scrooge McDuck swimming through my huge personal spirituality bank.

Stress in the workplace.

It can look different for everyone.

Annie,

Might you start us off with some issues you've been having?

Yes.

So for me,

For the last five years,

I have worked as a freelance writer.

So I am my one and only coworker.

So lucky.

Yes and no.

There's no one to get fussy with but myself.

I spend a lot of time demanding myself to be someone I'm not yet and having unrealistic expectations of me,

My coworker.

So me having workplace spirituality has a lot to do with looking for the humility to do the job to the best of my ability that day.

For me,

Writing can be really wrapped up in ego and fear and future tripping.

So it's wrapped up in ego and fear and future tripping.

Actually,

Lindsay likes to call it fortune telling which I love.

Like I picture myself with this crystal ball being like,

I know how bad it's going to be.

Especially if I'm working on something personal and it's going to be either online or in print with my name on it,

While I'm working,

I'm halfway there at my desk or let's be honest,

Laying in my bed writing in my body,

Doing the work.

But the other half of me is in the far reaches of the internet,

Imagining who's reading it,

How they like it or don't like it.

And like in this galaxy far away that really has nothing to do with what's actually happening which is me just kind of typing some words into a keyboard.

And this is before it's even been sent to my editor.

So my hopes with writing and why I write is I love to have other people read and connect with the things that I write.

But also when it comes to workplace spirituality,

I try to be a channel for some higher creativity and not be some kind of Annie who's great for Annie's sake.

So for me it takes practice and it's still kind of murky realms for me and I'm a classic over-thinker and this is a solitary creative workplace.

So a lot of what workplace spirituality has to do with for me is like staying really present,

Noticing when my ego is taking over and I don't just mean ego and like,

I'm so awesome.

Like that's the hope part of it.

But the underneath part is like you're definitely the worst and all of the internet will hate you.

Everyone knows about your pajama suit.

Ahh my pajama suit.

Bed sweater.

Bed sweater.

Being that ego of like I'm the best or the worst and setting between.

Yeah and setting it aside and just accepting my abilities as they are that day.

I think is a little bit different than having co-workers which I've also had and they require their own special set of tools but it has a lot to do with not engaging too much with my thinking and being actually present and just doing my job which is writing whatever thing it is that the task at hand calls for.

Instead of living in this world where I am whatever I think I should be or whatever my biggest fears are and just being present.

So that's what workplace spirituality is like for me right now.

Well I can so relate with that and I don't work alone.

So now Ella maybe perhaps you'd like to share something.

Do you have any experience with workplace stressors or?

Of course I do.

No,

None.

We love sarcasm here.

We don't know if it comes across.

It doesn't always translate.

And the workplace is it's a really uncomfortable place to be mirrored back to yourself and that for me that used to be the thing that made work the most uncomfortable like that was the biggest stressor was having myself mirrored back to me in this like grotesque carnival funhouse mirror from hell kind of thing.

Not like a fun mirror like either one of those like poor enlarging hotel mirrors that has the bright light above it and you're like I'm a monster or like grotesque carnival funhouse.

It's not pretty.

It didn't look pretty.

So that was the thing that stressed me out the most at work and the two most stressful experiences for me today are this constant theme of like overwhelm and anxiety at work which is this experience or feeling of like I don't have enough resources.

I don't have enough time.

I'm not going to get it all done.

The pressure it just feels like too much.

And I imagine that that's a an experience that a lot of people can probably relate to because we live these really busy lives and the way we're connected through technology and stuff like that means like there's no downtime.

There's no off time.

There's something expected of us at every moment and we have to be productive.

And for me it's a rich place to practice at work.

And for me there's the other place that I really noticed stressorizing for myself is when I am whether it's the intention of the person who is doing this or not how I feel is called out like I did something wrong or I didn't do something the right way or it was an incomplete task something like that and I'm getting I'm feel like I'm getting called out on it and I feel defensive and I need to explain to you why what you're saying isn't true.

And actually I did do it the right way first,

You know,

Like that feeling and it can be so,

Oh,

It's so uncomfortable to just sit and receive criticism without arguing.

It's a tall order.

But that's the other that's the other place for me where stress really arises at work is like,

How do I handle feedback in a way that is that hears what what suggestions the other person is actually trying to give me and it receives it in a way where like,

I don't want to like stab you in the throat with a pen,

You know,

Hashtag spirituality in the workplace.

My true priority is to be kind and to be helpful.

And when I'm stuck in overwhelm or defensiveness,

It's that is really hard for me to access and it can kind of get lost in the shuffle.

So yeah,

That's what's been really stressing me out these days at work.

Oh,

I'm so glad we've come together to talk about how stressful things can be.

Me too.

Oh,

It's helping me already.

I it's interesting how when we get together and we talk about this stuff,

Just listening even if you know,

Annie who works alone,

Or your situation is completely different from mine already,

I've gotten some ideas of like,

Oh,

That's so useful to me if I could apply that.

Seven years I've worked alone and recently I got a new coworker and the main issues that come up I really needed and or maybe need not fixed this person to be someone who she she just isn't.

This is taking me over a year to recognize.

So I've been demanding of this person.

And that's the thing like,

The part of this that's been such a problem for me is like the toxic heavy bubble that perhaps,

You know,

I really have to look at and make sure that I'm not creating right because I really,

I want this person to,

You know,

Quotation marks,

Be nice,

Right?

So like,

I'm just like Annie was talking about,

Even when it's just with yourself,

Right?

Like you work alone,

But you're fussy with yourself.

You know,

Here I am being fussy with this coworker.

I have unrealistic expectations of this coworker,

Which seems to be like a common thread.

I need her to be nicer.

She could at least clean up,

You know,

And like when I say that to myself all the time.

I'll just picture you and then I could be like so much because I really need some love and compassion for this person because instead I'm just stuck in this story of you should be different things should be different.

And so I like how Ella was talking about how we're mirroring back at the workplace and if I could really see that I'm looking to this person and making these outrageous demands of what I want this other coworker to work how I work.

You'd be right if only.

If only.

So this has been making the workplace extremely stressful.

I spent most of my time wanting this person to be different and not recognizing that I needed this person to be different and that story went on and on until I got some clarity around this which came in the form of again,

Mental anguish and pain.

My favorite.

So it always arrives.

And wasted energy trying to make this person behave a different way.

So exhausting.

Like that's I'm not even working.

I have these work tasks I'm supposed to do.

This is actually my job.

My full time overtime job is I'm just focusing on making Excel spreadsheets of like what I'm going to do to get this person to be different and I have in line so much wasted time.

So how can I become more efficient and what's my role at my job?

How can I show up to work do my job my actual job and let others around me be who they are.

This was and is such a radical question because before I just couldn't I yeah,

I needed to use my eight hours or more of work time to change this person clearly.

I need some tools.

I'd like to hear more about how the spreadsheet worked out for you.

Just kidding.

I've color coded the parts that are really important for you to take notice.

Those are in fuchsia.

And I'm actually never going to show it to you.

You should just know how you should be a better worker.

I can mind read why can't you?

Workplace stressors are something most people in the world struggle with and it can come in all different colors and examples.

Even if our real life experience of hardship in the workplace doesn't quite match yours.

We're hoping these tools are utilitarian enough that they can get the job done.

Yeah,

Yeah.

Ella,

Do you have anything working or some ideal you'd like to reach for?

I do.

In fact,

The experience I'm going to choose is this overwhelm thing that I was describing before because it's something that I get it in every area of my life.

But around work,

There's a kind of an especial pressure around it.

One thing that I really want to say out loud,

Because it's just important for me to remember is that for me being overwhelmed and stressed out doesn't mean I get a free pass to be a jerk,

You know,

Like to myself or to other people,

Especially,

Especially.

But it can be really hard,

Right?

Because we're in these high pressure environments,

The stakes are high,

There's a lot expected of us,

And we're trying to perform.

For me,

It can be really,

Really easy to take on the kind of dysfunctional energy other people have.

I'm a pretty sensitive human.

And I start absorbing urgency and overwhelm that someone else has at work.

And then my brain is hurry up.

And there's not enough time to do one thing at a time,

You better multitask,

It's the only way we'll get stuff done.

And the problem is that multitasking is a myth.

It's not it's not actually a real thing.

The people who can quote unquote multitask are just skilled at switching from one activity to another.

But the reality is you can't actually do more than one thing at a time.

And hurrying up means that I'm looking for shortcuts instead of doing the task right the first time which like,

Oh my god,

The amount of time trying to figure out a way to salvage a shortcut and shortcuts and loopholes.

Oh my god,

My bread and my album.

It's my bread and butter.

Instead of just doing it the right way the first time.

So my tool for overwhelm in the workplace is going to feel really,

Really counterintuitive.

And I remember when I first started practicing this,

It was like physically painful.

I'm not making this sound really appealing to you guys.

Just try it.

It's great.

You'll love it.

It's so great.

The tool is PAUSE,

Which in the midst of overwhelm is like the absolute last thing I want to do.

It's never going to work.

It's never going to work.

But when I'm feeling this urgency,

I really do need to pause.

And what happens when I get overwhelmed is that I can't be I can't actually apply myself appropriately or efficiently to the task at hand because I'm so so much of my energy and focus is already beating being eaten up by this like overwhelmed feeling.

So I pause and I when I you know,

Sometimes I'll pray or I'll take a moment to take some deep breaths and come back into my body.

So I'll pause and when the overwhelm starts kind of attacking me and it's like there's no time for that,

Then I'll say out loud sometimes,

I slow down and do one task at a time with integrity.

And I just kind of repeat that mantra to myself.

And sometimes it helps me to make a list of like the things that are fluttering around in my mind causing a whirlwind and take a step back,

It makes sense the order of priority.

And then I start with the first thing,

I do one thing at a time.

And I do each task fully instead of in whatever way feels like the best way and fullest way to do it at the time.

And when there's someone else there who's really laying this overwhelm bait out in front of me,

I can meet that energy that I really like to take on myself with an outward manifestation of this tool,

Which,

You know,

It's I am going to politely decline your invitation to urgency.

Thank you for thinking of me,

But it's not appropriate for me to take that on right now.

And then I'll say things like,

I actually just need to finish this task before I start a new one.

Can you give me a few minutes to wrap this up so I can give you my full attention?

Don't worry,

I'd really like to hear what you're saying.

But in order to do that,

I need to finish what I'm working on right now.

Could I just have a couple minutes to wrap it?

So I'll say those things,

I'll ask for what I need.

And then especially if the overwhelm and urgency are still kind of like biting at my heels,

I will just keep saying the affirmation either out loud or internally,

Which is I slow down,

And I do one task at a time with integrity.

So that is my tool.

I love it.

Oh my god,

I'm going to use that today for real.

The tool that I am going to talk about and is very simple,

But has been really great for redirecting me at work,

Which seems like as we're talking about this,

And when I'm not so reactive away from my job,

I can see that there's a little bit more space.

This is absolutely my responsibility.

My reactivity and how I show up in the workplace is my responsibility.

And I can be looking to the other people all the time.

And that would be such an easy blame game.

But how I show up is a big part of my job.

And I love that I'm just realizing this because we're doing this talking.

So maybe today will be a great day.

Teamwork at work.

So my main tool is a question.

What is my role here?

I get a little confused.

I think that my role is to come in and tell you exactly how to like do your job and do it right.

And that's turns out that's not my job.

That's not my role.

That's not my job.

What have I shown up at my job to do?

This is a redirection tool that has been so helpful.

Am I here to criticize micromanage and fix this coworker,

Which by the way,

Not possible.

Such a waste of time.

My happiness,

My contentment is completely conditional.

This is what I'm recognizing with my job.

I am putting it all of this on it being completely situational if I am okay.

And that is a really risky place to put yourself all the time.

It's really unpredictable.

And it's giving away all of the power that I already don't have.

I'm basing my well-being and my happiness on this person or situation.

This is the moment where I get hitched and I have to recognize this.

Can I show up for my job regardless of the situations if they're going quote unquote my way?

This is my topic because I am having so many problems at work.

So it's okay that my tool is a question right now and that I don't have it all figured out.

And I'm so lucky that I have you ladies where I can come and get more information and be an acceptance of this spot that my job has been really uncomfortable and not my favorite.

And I've even thought about leaving and it really opened up all these spaces that I wouldn't have looked at before.

And so it's really been,

This coworker has been a treasure trove and an opportunity,

Especially in my spiritual path.

Because I don't want to,

Before I walk into work,

I'm not like,

Oh,

I should say a prayer so that I can really center myself so that I don't lash out at someone because of X,

Y,

Or Z.

This has been paving the way for me to be so incredibly present and to reach out to the people in my community and my people that helped me so that I can be really clear with my intentions and what my motivation is and how to really show up and be a worker among workers and do the best job that I can do and not hurt anyone or myself.

So it's a long road.

So sweet.

And I need a lot of tools,

Annie.

Please.

Pressure's on.

I love that your tool's a question.

And for me,

That's always been where change starts to happen when I just start to open up about what is a challenge for me.

And like you said,

It's actually the place where I get to learn from instead of me saying,

I know how to do this already.

Solved.

My tool for workplace spirituality is prayer.

And I've been using this one for a while because,

Like I said,

I spend a lot of time alone.

And it just keeps me from getting wacky.

In the morning,

I write out what my day is going to look like.

So I write out my tasks and the things that are going to be coming up.

And then I write out the stuff that the ways that I might create drama for myself.

So if I have an article due for a new publication,

Maybe I'd write out ego or control or all those ways that I would need to that I could see some of my personality challenges come up that are my workplace stressors,

Basically.

So I would write that out and say,

Okay,

I've got a new article.

I'm going to be working on it today.

And I think ego is going to come up.

So what can be my alternate that I can reach for?

It'd be humility.

And I'll be like fear because I really want the new editor to like it.

And I want also the entire internet to like it.

Just the whole internet star.

No big deal.

So my alternate to fear would just be courage.

And then the future tripping,

Right,

Like that plain God of needing to control the outcomes.

My alternate can just be staying present and just doing like these girls have been talking about just doing the task at hand,

Just doing the actual job at hand,

Which isn't pleasing the internet or making an editor love me,

But putting words on to a keyboard screen.

I think it's called a laptop.

Some of you might know it.

Back in my day,

It was an old paper and pen or tablet.

So that's the start of my prayer in my morning day is I have this morning routine and I look at what my work day will look like.

And I write those things out.

And then I ask in my morning routine,

I talk to my higher power and I ask for guidance,

Like how I can best be of service that day to God as I understand God,

To the world,

To my fellows and to my family.

And I don't mean that in a grandiose way,

Like I'm going to save the world.

But in a request for guidance and the intention that the actions that I take,

I don't know how they're going to impact other people.

So like the words that I make or the things that I do,

Even making this podcast with these girls,

Like I don't know who it will come into contact with.

So if I can just be guided in a way that isn't,

That is about being of service instead of being about Annie getting accolades somehow.

Throughout the day,

I touch back in and I drink a lot of coffee.

And I'll go have coffee or I'll go have a snack and then I'll just say a quick prayer before I'll get on the keyboard.

And I don't do that every single time.

I try to do it as often as possible because like I said,

I think about myself so much.

I'm constantly thinking,

Am I okay?

Is this okay?

How's this?

Do people,

You know,

It's just overwhelming.

So if I just stop and say a prayer,

It kind of brings me back to that morning intention of I'm just here to do this task at hand.

Perhaps it'll be helpful to other people.

And can I let go of the outcomes?

I also bring prayer in by praying with my friends because I do work alone.

I'll co-write with friends sometimes.

And if we're both somewhere where we can't meet up,

We will do FaceTime co-working.

And Ella,

If she's not in the office,

She and I will co-work together.

So it is so fun.

And we'll get on FaceTime and we'll say a little prayer before we work,

You know.

And she's just up there on the side of my screen and it's just this sense of,

Oh,

I have someone here with me.

So writing,

And I assume any job that any of us do,

It really starts to feel like it's me.

It's all about me.

It's me making my way with my me power through the world.

And so then praying throughout the day,

Something even as simple as,

God,

Here we go.

Grant me the humility to just write this.

Can kind of clear my channels and keep me from getting frothy and churned up.

So like a latte.

Yeah.

Oh my God.

I love a latte.

We definitely need another.

That is actually also a good tool.

It's a latte.

Can my spiritual workplace tool be caffeine?

Yes.

Of course it can.

We love that.

Call the secretary,

Bring us in a coffee.

We're very ready for all of that.

Espresso on three.

Well,

I'm certainly feeling overworked by this topic.

I'm definitely hoping for time and a half in my spirituality bank.

But um,

No?

Okay.

I loved it.

Perhaps we can all unionize and make spirituality our full time gig.

Oh,

She's not done.

Am I up one for morning?

We should talk to my little brother.

Until we can go off and meditate in caves for the next 20 years.

I'm so grateful to gals sharing with me how to navigate this messy life.

I can't wait for next week.

What are we going to be talking about?

What?

What?

What could it be?

Oh,

I know.

Hi,

Annie.

This is a dear topic to all of our hearts.

And the topic is how to say no.

No.

Wait,

What?

That's an option?

Yeah,

I know.

Who knew?

Who even knew?

No is a complete sentence.

No,

It is not.

You'll have to find out next week,

Won't you?

Yeah,

We'll see you then.

Until then,

Love you.

Bye.

Love you.

Reviews

Yes! Spirituality as a full time job, please sign me up right now! Thank you ladies! 🙏🙏🙏

Omg you ladies had me totally inspired to go to work now...concept of multitasking is now debunked 😄 thx again Ladies❤️👌

Thank you so much for this podcast. I'm going through some anxiety and overwhelm at work and your tools are so interesting, will definitely try them! 🙏

Leaving no stone unturned on the topic of workplace spirituality, these women have done it again by openly discussing real-life challenges and the tools to work through them.
Thank you for such relatable content and balancing light-hearted humor throughout this podcast.
Now to share this with as many of my coworkers as I can... 🤷🏻‍♀️🙏🏼

You women are fantastic! Loved this talk. I’m so looking forward to finding more.

Great fun and equally helpful! Love you ladies 💜 x

"I slow down and do one task with integrity." PRICELESS!!👍🏼❤🙏🏾